I think we undermined your claim by agreeing to a mutual swap of positions of two numbers, Rapaire. The agreement actually ruins all ordinality, as a property of any number; this means that there is no way to tell when you even have REACHED those claims. Let alone any legitimacy to the claims themselves in the absence of rationality.

We were eighteen nine and sixty five Forget it I never can; We were hard turned out on the MOAB rout, Heading strong for nineteen grand, oh, man, Heading out for nineteen grand.

There was whacky Hack and Rap the Black, There was a Sage from the cold north-west. And no-one knew if it could be done, But we reckoned we'd do our best, oh, yes. We swore to do our best.

We were climbing hard and feelin' tahred, We was just about done in, When Jenny from Australia said, She'd take us for a spin, my friend. Said she's take us for a spin.

Well, Still and I were feeling sly So we swapped an ordinal pair. And the n-dimensional twist of that Would have left us all nowhere, and bare Left us all out in nowhere.

But Jen was hot, and like a shot, She stuck her paddle in, With a twist and a shout she turned us inside out And the whole thread started to spin, oh, man, The whole thread started to spin.

So now we're back in the old time-stream, Running free from the rocks and the sand, 'N if we keep our heads and don't blow a tread, We'll get clear to nineteen grand, oh, man! All the way to nineteen grand.

There's the race to the BIG NUMBER and there's the local race to the NEW SEMESTER. All three of us start the same week this year, son in high school, daughter at one college, me at another. The countdown begins now, a week from today.

...Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out! brief candle. Life's but a poor player Who struts and frets his time upon the stage and then is heard no more! 'Tis but a tale told by an idiot Full of sound and fury Signifying nothing.

I helped Billy-Bob write that. We were both pretty drunk, down at the Mermaid Tavern, and he kept spilling his beer and yelling for more pretzels and wenches. I remember Billy-Bob and this red-haired...well, never mind. But it was interesting.

He should have died heretofore -- There would have been time to set such words aright; Yesterdays and all its yesterdays Have crept within his mind, and dimmed its light, Marring each syllable of remembered verse, And making it not better, yet, much worse. An overdose of yesterdays breeds fools Gloomy with promises of dust. Light up anew, brief candle! Life calls for shadow players, as well as well-played shades. And then, an interlude, and sounds it yet again, Returning, half like a lover, half like an idiot, a tale Recurring in fury and in undying love, Infinite in meaning and in care.

Blankety blank spammer has posted more trash on my topical news thread (the new one after Joe closed my old one because of same slimy spammer). Idiot has been rampant around the 'Cat lately. We need to send the Legion out to see these spoilers. Rap, round 'em up. I'll buy the beer.

Me 'n' Billy Bob Shakespeare used to go a-whoring down at the Mermaid with Ben Jonson and the rest of the Globe Gang. Ol' Billy Bob had hisself a pickup with them big tires, lights on the roof of the cab, a gun rack, and flames painted on the front. We'd squeeze Moll Tearsheet in the front seat between me and Billy Bob and the rest of the Globesters would jump in the bed and we'd just tear ass around London. Sometimes we'd pick up Jeffy Chaucer after a couple dozen rounds over at the Tabard, too. Him and Chris Marlowe would start talking about the times they had with the Prioress and the Wife of Bath...man, did they know some stories!

Maybe if the boys in the Legion want something different then, perhaps one of them knows how to prepare jimson weed? I have a huge one in my front yard (reminds me--I'll take the camera out, it looked like a couple of dozen flowers were going to open this evening. A truly spectacular showing! Sacred datura is a moon worshiper, that's for sure!)

YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM You are old, father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head -- Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER "The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright -- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the sun Had got no business to be there After the day was done -- "It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun."

The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky: No birds were flying overhead -- There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter Were walking close at hand; They wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand: `If this were only cleared away,' They said, `it would be grand!'

`If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year, Do you suppose,' the Walrus said, `That they could get it clear?' `I doubt it,' said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear.

`O Oysters, come and walk with us!' The Walrus did beseech. `A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the bring beach: We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each.'

The eldest Oyster looked at him, But never a word he said: The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook his heavy head -- Meaning to say he did not choose To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up, All eager for the treat: Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, Their shows were clean and neat -- And this was odd, because, you know, They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them, And yet another four; And thick and fast they came at last, And more, and more, and more -- All hopping through the frothy waves, And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter Walked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock Conveniently low: And all the little Oysters stood And waited in a row.

`The time has come,' the Walrus said, `To talk of many things: Of shows -- and ships -- and sealing-wax -- Of cabbages -- and kings -- And why the sea is boiling hot -- And whether pigs have wings.'

`But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried, `Before we have our chat; For some of us are out of breath, And all of us are fat!' `No hurry!' said the Carpenter. They thanked him much for that.

`A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said, `Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed -- Now if you're ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed.'

`But not on us!' the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue. `After such kindness, that would be A dismal thing to do!' `The night is fine,' the Walrus said. `Do you admire the view?

`It was so kind of you to come! And you are very nice!' The Carpenter said nothing but `Cut us another slice: I wish you were not quite so deaf -- I've had to ask you twice!'

`It seems a shame,' the Walrus said, `To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!' The Carpenter said nothing but `The butter's spread too thick!'

`I weep for you,' the Walrus said: `I deeply sympathize.' With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes.

`O Oysters,' said the Carpenter, `You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none -- And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one.

What's this? Amos and Rapaire fighting again? (so what else is new?) My, you've all been busy around here while I was away, haven't you! Anyway, I like your verses, Amos. You could sing that 11.16am one to Gilligan's Island, couldn't you. But would you?

Nice Special Number Rapaire, but how do you make it spin? It's all lopsided in the middle. I imagine it would spin better one way than the other. Meanwhile, there are better numbers to be had, which I have my little eye on.

Enjoy your number, SRS! I know you won't believe me if I say I wasn't trying for THAT one, but when I wrote my post you hadn't started your run yet. I noticed the flurry of activity just before hitting the submit button and thought "wouldn't it be funny......". Anyway, 19001 is sorta nice too.

Meanwhile, as I was saying, my sights are set on another one, but I have to go out for a while, so depending on the activity around here, I might miss it too. Oh well - I do have a perfectly respectable collection already...